Disclaimer: I have re-written some parts of this story, because I was not
liking how the romance played out. So I have just been re-writing the old
stuff, but now it fits even better with the ending so I'll post that soon.
All these characters belong to Tolkien, except for Aralyn. This story is
better now, please go back and read, then you can enjoy the ending better.
Read and review please!
I woke up cuddled next to Legolas. He had spread an elvish blanket over both of us after I fell asleep. I saw him smile at me and I grinned like a little girl and buried my face in his jerkin.
"Good morning." He teased me.
"Wonderful morning it is." I mumbled into his chest.
"Come on. Is there a place other then here you would rather be?" He asked me, putting his arm underneath his head and watched the early morning clouds.
"Actually, no." I grinned and cuddled closer to him, so he'd keep me warm. It was a chilly morning.
"Hey, you two." Gimli said, towering over us with a cocked eyebrow.
"Good morning Master Gimli." I grinned. "So tell me, what exactly did you do to impress Lady Galandriel?"
"How about some breakfast?" He asked, clearly ignoring my question.
Legolas and I laughed at the dwarf's ears turning red.
"Actually Gimli, I have to get going. It's my turn to scout." He made an excuse as he saw Aragorn coming over the hill. "Bye Aralyn." He said, kissing me gently on the head and squeezing my hand. He then left, with one last glance over his shoulder at me.
"What's going on between you two?" Master Gimli asked, frowning at me with almost a fatherly disposition.
"Nothing." I ducked my head.
"Heard that before." He snorted through his nose.
I burst out laughing. "You sound like a father, Master Gimli!"
"Enough of this Master business. My friends call me Gimli, and you're my friend. So call me Gimli."
"Alright, Gimli." I grinned and finished my breakfast. I helped him pack up his cooking utensils and found my bag. I was throwing dirt over the embers of the smoldering fire when I heard a shrill voice behind me.
"Lady! Lady!" It screeched as it got nearer and nearer. I turned around to see the little girl whom I had rescued from the horse at Edoras. She ran up to me, a worried look on her face. I crouched down till I was at her level, then asked her what the matter was.
"Mommy isn't here!" The little girl whimpered softly.
"Oh, come here." I urged, taking her into my arms and hugging her. "We'll find your mother. She's probably at Helm's Deep, waiting for you."
"What's Helm's Deep?" the girl asked, looking confused. "It's a big building made of stone and it will protect us from the bad men. That's where we are going now."
"When will we be there?" The girl asked, wiggling out of my arms and jumping from foot to foot.
"By lunchtime today." I promised. Then looked around. "Where's your brother?"
"Right here." Eowyn said, emerging from the groggy crowd with the girl's brother.
"Lady Eowyn!" I exclaimed. "I didn't see you at all last night. Where were you?"
"With these two." She grinned at the two children who seemed fascinated by the smoldering ambers of the fire. "Where were you?" She asked.
I avoided the question. "We'll be there by noon today. Hopefully." I stated.
"What do you mean hopefully?" she asked, her hand shielding her eyes from the rising sun. She was used to my intuitive feelings, and respected them greatly because she knew that were usually true.
"I just have a feeling something is going to go wrong." I didn't want to say that I felt that Saruman was going to attack us.
"And what is this something?" Eowyn asked, noticing I wasn't telling the whole truth.
"Saruman." I said simply. Before she could reply, Hama interrupted us.
"We're leaving now. The road is clear before us and Helm's Deep is near."
"Thank you Hama." I said politely. Then I took Eowyn aside and spoke in a low tone so the children couldn't hear me. "Take the children and travel near the center of the group. You're in less danger there."
Eowyn nodded. "What about you?"
"I'm coming with you." I said, flinging the bag onto my shoulder. "Where's Lord Aragorn?"
"Over there on his horse." Eowyn pointed out. "Children, come, we're leaving now!" She called to the boy and girl.
"Walk near him. You'll be safe near him." I suggested.
All of us made our way to Lord Aragorn who was guiding his horse and following the rest of the people. The children laughed at the sight of the horse, and ran up to pet it. Aragorn smiled at the children's reaction, but he still had a far away look in his eyes. We started to follow the group at a leisurely pace when Gimli rode up on a horse.
"Hello, Lady Eowyn, Aralyn, and Aragorn." He said happily, looking as if he was finally getting used to riding on a horse.
"How's that horse treating you, Gimli?" I asked, and shared a secret smile with Lady Eowyn.
"It treats me better when that oaf of an elf isn't guiding him." Gimli said proudly. At that moment the horse reared up slightly. "Whoooah!" Gimli yelled, holding on tight.
"Oaf of an elf?" I shot an eyebrow up at him. He just looked embarrassed. Eowyn and I caught up on our gossip, although I had a feeling with Aragorn standing right there we both weren't totally truthful to each other. There would be a time and place to tell Eowyn everything, and we could figure this whole thing out together.
"And dwarf women are so alike in looks that are sometimes mistaken for dwarf men!" Gimli was telling to the two children, who were giggling madly.
Eowyn and I laughed and glanced back to Aragorn, who whispered to us, "It's the beards." Which got us both giggling harder then Gimli thought we should be.
"Why, some people think there are no dwarven women at all! They think dwarves just pop out of the stone!" This was too much for Eowyn and she laughed loudly. Something then spooked the horse and he sped up unexpectedly, throwing the rider off. Gimli was ok, but our group was in such a fit of laughter we couldn't help him up. He huffed until he pulled himself off the ground and caught the horse, because he knew that Legolas would kill him if he lost that horse.
At that second my elven ears picked up yells. I motioned for Eowyn to stay there as I ran to the outer edge of the traveling group to investigate. My elven eyes saw two of our scouts yelling about something, then I saw Legolas leap down from a cliff and shoot an arrow right at a huge wolf? A warg! Saurman's treachery! Legolas then slit the throat of the rider of the warg and yelled, "A SCOUT!"
He then caught my eye and fear filled his face. He motioned for me to go back to the people as he loaded his bow, ready for the attack. I knew it was time for me to act.
"It's Wargs!" I yelled. "Everyone, stay together! Head toward the lower ground!" I ordered. People around me started screaming and running. It was impossible to find my way through the crowd. I did it somehow though. I found Eowyn.
"Where are the children?" I asked, breathless.
"They ran off with another family." She said. "I'm going to go fight!" She said, reaching for her sword.
"No, milady. Please, I need you to help me with the people." I pleaded. I saw her look longly at Aragorn.
"I cannot sit here and do nothing while my people are out there defending me." She argued and ran off.
"Eowyn!" I yelled. I watched her disappear into the crowd and then turned my attention back to my people. "Everyone!" I yelled. "Follow me. Make haste! We will make it to Helm's Deep!" I tried to herd the crowd, which was almost impossible with the screaming women and scared children. I steered them away from the wargs though and the battle that was being fought for our lives. I prayed to whatever god was up there listening to me to protect Legolas and the rest of the men.
I didn't like this idea of running away when I could fight. But somebody had to herd these people. I wish I could picture myself as a hero, but I couldn't. I was just somebody fighting for the right to stay alive and not live in fear.
I woke up cuddled next to Legolas. He had spread an elvish blanket over both of us after I fell asleep. I saw him smile at me and I grinned like a little girl and buried my face in his jerkin.
"Good morning." He teased me.
"Wonderful morning it is." I mumbled into his chest.
"Come on. Is there a place other then here you would rather be?" He asked me, putting his arm underneath his head and watched the early morning clouds.
"Actually, no." I grinned and cuddled closer to him, so he'd keep me warm. It was a chilly morning.
"Hey, you two." Gimli said, towering over us with a cocked eyebrow.
"Good morning Master Gimli." I grinned. "So tell me, what exactly did you do to impress Lady Galandriel?"
"How about some breakfast?" He asked, clearly ignoring my question.
Legolas and I laughed at the dwarf's ears turning red.
"Actually Gimli, I have to get going. It's my turn to scout." He made an excuse as he saw Aragorn coming over the hill. "Bye Aralyn." He said, kissing me gently on the head and squeezing my hand. He then left, with one last glance over his shoulder at me.
"What's going on between you two?" Master Gimli asked, frowning at me with almost a fatherly disposition.
"Nothing." I ducked my head.
"Heard that before." He snorted through his nose.
I burst out laughing. "You sound like a father, Master Gimli!"
"Enough of this Master business. My friends call me Gimli, and you're my friend. So call me Gimli."
"Alright, Gimli." I grinned and finished my breakfast. I helped him pack up his cooking utensils and found my bag. I was throwing dirt over the embers of the smoldering fire when I heard a shrill voice behind me.
"Lady! Lady!" It screeched as it got nearer and nearer. I turned around to see the little girl whom I had rescued from the horse at Edoras. She ran up to me, a worried look on her face. I crouched down till I was at her level, then asked her what the matter was.
"Mommy isn't here!" The little girl whimpered softly.
"Oh, come here." I urged, taking her into my arms and hugging her. "We'll find your mother. She's probably at Helm's Deep, waiting for you."
"What's Helm's Deep?" the girl asked, looking confused. "It's a big building made of stone and it will protect us from the bad men. That's where we are going now."
"When will we be there?" The girl asked, wiggling out of my arms and jumping from foot to foot.
"By lunchtime today." I promised. Then looked around. "Where's your brother?"
"Right here." Eowyn said, emerging from the groggy crowd with the girl's brother.
"Lady Eowyn!" I exclaimed. "I didn't see you at all last night. Where were you?"
"With these two." She grinned at the two children who seemed fascinated by the smoldering ambers of the fire. "Where were you?" She asked.
I avoided the question. "We'll be there by noon today. Hopefully." I stated.
"What do you mean hopefully?" she asked, her hand shielding her eyes from the rising sun. She was used to my intuitive feelings, and respected them greatly because she knew that were usually true.
"I just have a feeling something is going to go wrong." I didn't want to say that I felt that Saruman was going to attack us.
"And what is this something?" Eowyn asked, noticing I wasn't telling the whole truth.
"Saruman." I said simply. Before she could reply, Hama interrupted us.
"We're leaving now. The road is clear before us and Helm's Deep is near."
"Thank you Hama." I said politely. Then I took Eowyn aside and spoke in a low tone so the children couldn't hear me. "Take the children and travel near the center of the group. You're in less danger there."
Eowyn nodded. "What about you?"
"I'm coming with you." I said, flinging the bag onto my shoulder. "Where's Lord Aragorn?"
"Over there on his horse." Eowyn pointed out. "Children, come, we're leaving now!" She called to the boy and girl.
"Walk near him. You'll be safe near him." I suggested.
All of us made our way to Lord Aragorn who was guiding his horse and following the rest of the people. The children laughed at the sight of the horse, and ran up to pet it. Aragorn smiled at the children's reaction, but he still had a far away look in his eyes. We started to follow the group at a leisurely pace when Gimli rode up on a horse.
"Hello, Lady Eowyn, Aralyn, and Aragorn." He said happily, looking as if he was finally getting used to riding on a horse.
"How's that horse treating you, Gimli?" I asked, and shared a secret smile with Lady Eowyn.
"It treats me better when that oaf of an elf isn't guiding him." Gimli said proudly. At that moment the horse reared up slightly. "Whoooah!" Gimli yelled, holding on tight.
"Oaf of an elf?" I shot an eyebrow up at him. He just looked embarrassed. Eowyn and I caught up on our gossip, although I had a feeling with Aragorn standing right there we both weren't totally truthful to each other. There would be a time and place to tell Eowyn everything, and we could figure this whole thing out together.
"And dwarf women are so alike in looks that are sometimes mistaken for dwarf men!" Gimli was telling to the two children, who were giggling madly.
Eowyn and I laughed and glanced back to Aragorn, who whispered to us, "It's the beards." Which got us both giggling harder then Gimli thought we should be.
"Why, some people think there are no dwarven women at all! They think dwarves just pop out of the stone!" This was too much for Eowyn and she laughed loudly. Something then spooked the horse and he sped up unexpectedly, throwing the rider off. Gimli was ok, but our group was in such a fit of laughter we couldn't help him up. He huffed until he pulled himself off the ground and caught the horse, because he knew that Legolas would kill him if he lost that horse.
At that second my elven ears picked up yells. I motioned for Eowyn to stay there as I ran to the outer edge of the traveling group to investigate. My elven eyes saw two of our scouts yelling about something, then I saw Legolas leap down from a cliff and shoot an arrow right at a huge wolf? A warg! Saurman's treachery! Legolas then slit the throat of the rider of the warg and yelled, "A SCOUT!"
He then caught my eye and fear filled his face. He motioned for me to go back to the people as he loaded his bow, ready for the attack. I knew it was time for me to act.
"It's Wargs!" I yelled. "Everyone, stay together! Head toward the lower ground!" I ordered. People around me started screaming and running. It was impossible to find my way through the crowd. I did it somehow though. I found Eowyn.
"Where are the children?" I asked, breathless.
"They ran off with another family." She said. "I'm going to go fight!" She said, reaching for her sword.
"No, milady. Please, I need you to help me with the people." I pleaded. I saw her look longly at Aragorn.
"I cannot sit here and do nothing while my people are out there defending me." She argued and ran off.
"Eowyn!" I yelled. I watched her disappear into the crowd and then turned my attention back to my people. "Everyone!" I yelled. "Follow me. Make haste! We will make it to Helm's Deep!" I tried to herd the crowd, which was almost impossible with the screaming women and scared children. I steered them away from the wargs though and the battle that was being fought for our lives. I prayed to whatever god was up there listening to me to protect Legolas and the rest of the men.
I didn't like this idea of running away when I could fight. But somebody had to herd these people. I wish I could picture myself as a hero, but I couldn't. I was just somebody fighting for the right to stay alive and not live in fear.